Facebook to be banned in Papua New Guinea for a month

Papua New Guinea will ban Facebook for a month while it identifies fake profiles and considers the website's effect on the country. Facebook has faced scrutiny following the Cambridge Analytica scandal and has been criticised over the way it has tried to tackle fake news. Although only about 10% of people in Papua New Guinea have internet access, the country is proving proactive in its regulation of online services. The government aims to use the month-long ban to analyse how Facebook is being used and prosecute those breaching the country's 2016 cyber-crime law. "If need be then we can gather our local applications developers to create a site that is more conducive for Papua New Guineans to communicate within the country and abroad as well," he said.